The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 171

doi~g, let bi1:1 make peace his object sought, and let bis chase after it (as it were flecmg from him)_ be ~een. l<'or evil feelings indulged in aot, peace once broken, may lead to the emb1ttermg or shortening of life. (3) Reference to the Divine dealing, "For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears unto their supplication: but the face of the Lord is upon them that do evil." The anthropomorphism is marked-the eyes, ears, face, of the Lord. God is no respecter of persoos; but he is fai•ou:·able to the _righte?us, i.e. _th~ right-spea~ing and right acting. His sympathies a.re with th_em; b!s_prov1den~e 1s _m l~ue with them. His eyes are upon them, i.e. to note their condit10n, to delight m their struggles after conformity to his will, and to send them tokens of bis favour. His ea1·s are unto their supplication, i.e. to mark it to a~swer it, especially when it rises out of experience of wrong. On the other hand: God 1s unfavoorable to them that do evil things, i.e. make a practice of it refusino- Divine mercy and paying no heed to Divine threatenings. There is ~ot much expressed here; it is only the disjunctive word that suggests the face of God as not full of pleasure, but full of d-ispleasure, upon them that do evil. "With the froward thou :Wilt sb?w thyself froward." It _is well that there should be a deep and widespread 1mpress1on of the truth that God 1s contrary to them that are contrary to his laws, and forbids them in their oontrariety to ha.ve what he promises to the righteous-life and good days. 3. .Application of the citatioin. "And who is he that will harm you, if ye be zealous of that which is good?" The Septuagint rendering of Isa. 1. 9 is, "Behold the Lord, the Lord will help me; who is he that will harm me 1" There is a way in which we can be proof against harm, i.e. any real injury to our happiness. It is by being zealots, not unenlightened zealots, but zealots of the good, i.e. all that is prescribed by God. So long as the Israelites were zealous in their attachment to God and his ordinances they were i'.nvulnerable. 4. Blessedness of suffering for righteous- ness' sake. (1) The pronouncing blessed. "But and if ye should suffer for righteous- ness' sake, blessed are ye." While proof against harm, they might be called to suffer. In the event of their suffering for righteousness' sake they would come within the scope of the Saviour's beatitude, "Blessed are they which are p~rsecuted for righteous- ness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The pree.ching of righteousness in the life is offensive to the world, and provokes its dislike and malice. But those who are persecuted because of the right ordering of their life are not to be commiserated : they are to be pronounced blessed. They have the satisfaction of being at peace with their conscience, the satisfaction of enjoying the approval of their God, who will not forget their faithfulness. (2) FeeUng acrompanying the blessedness. " And fear not their fear, neitLer be troubled." It is remarkable how much the apostle's thought runs in Old Testament language. The language here and in the beginning of the next verse is based on Isa. viii. 12, 13. Their persecutors would seek to inspire them with fear, to throw them into a state of perturbation; but let them not fear their fear, neither be troubled. "Should the empress determine to banish me, let her bani,h me; 'the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.' If she will cast me into the sea, let her cast me into the sea; I will remember Jonah. If she will throw me into a burning fiery furnace, the three children were there before me. If she will throw me to the wild beasts, I will remember that Daniel was in the den of lions. If she will condemn me to be stoned, I shall be the associate of Stephen, the proto-martyr. If she will have me beheaded, the BaptiRt Eubmitted to the same punishment. If she will take away my substanoe, 'naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return to it'" (Chrysostom). (3) .Means of being undisturbed in the blessedness. (a) .A.duration of Christ. "But sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord." Peter gives a Christian colouring to the Old Testament language. Our hearts are ?ur temple; there we are to sanctify Christ, i.e. to bold him as holy. We are to fear him as shown to be holy in his redemption-work, and also as by hie redemption-work made our Lord. In the quiet of our hearts habitually fearing him as our Redeemer whose every word is to be obeyed, the fear of man will not find admission. (b) Apology in presence of men. That we are to be ready with our apology. "Being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meek- ness and fear." Peter begins," Being ready always with an apology," i.e. answer, or defence. It is not intended that we should master Christian apologetics-be .able to amwer every objection which infidels may start. The apology which is contemplated 011. m. 1-22.) '!'HE FIRS'!' EPIB'fLE GENERAL OF PETER.